Texas cyclists statewide, to our collective frustration, have watched over the years as more and more miles of smooth surface on favorite routes and loops have disappeared under a concoction of rock and oil, leaving an uneven, jarring surface and loose gravel that stays on the road for months. Known to cyclists as "chip seal" but to transportation engineers as "seal coat," it is infamous among cyclists for causing dangerous riding conditions that have led to crashes and damaged tires.
As Saturday, September 27 dawned bright and crisp, temperatures hovering near 50 degrees, my granddaughter Brooke and I found ourselves heading north from Lubbock toward Palo Duro Canyon State Park. This is undoubtedly one of the most striking of all the state parks in Texas, a rare beauty on the flat plains of the northern panhandle, with stunning vistas and stark contrasts to the surrounding country. But we aren't going just to see the grandeur of the Grand Canyon of Texas; we are going to participate in the future of bicycling in Texas - the BikeTexas Kids Kup mountain bike race, one race of the Shimano Youth Series mountain bike races, sponsored by BikeTexas, Shimano and Cliff Bars.
On Saturday, September 27, Texas cyclists lost a great friend and advocate as Byron de Sousa, former BikeTexas Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Outreach Coordinator, passed away at age 59 after a long battle with prostate cancer. Born in Brazil but later becoming an American citizen, Byron made Fort Worth his home for the last 17 years. Those who knew him valued his kindness, intelligence and readiness with a joke. We at BikeTexas will miss Byron greatly.
"Byron had a rich personality to go with his enchanting Brazilian
accent. I loved the way he would say, "KC, my friend" when he started
an explanation. Byron was a brilliant scholar and brought expertise and
experience to our team. Byron was very involved with local Fort Worth
bicycle advocacy and influenced the city's installation of sixty miles
of shared lane markings (sharrows) and cycling signage. Now, miles of
sharrows on Fort Worth city streets will serve as a reminder to us all
of Byron's impact. Just as important, thousands of children will be
more active and safer cyclists because of the time and attention Byron
devoted to encouraging biking and walking to school and bicycle safety
education," said KC Jones, fellow BikeTexas SRTS Outreach Coordinator.
This year was a spinning success for the Texas SuperCyclist Certification Training. We trained 341 Physical Education teachers and community youth workers, as well as faculty at two colleges. Since 1999, we have now trained almost 3,000 Elementary P.E. teachers, and from them 288,000 Texas children a year learn bike safety through the Texas SuperCyclist Curriculum lessons.
Through the Texas SuperCollege Certification Training, we have trained faculty at 19 colleges, and they have reported teaching the course to approximately 2200 college students studying to be future teachers. All of these teachers are equipped with the award-winning Texas SuperCyclist Curriculum. During the class the teachers themselves participate in the games and skills course - it makes the class more fun, and the teachers feel prepared to teach the games to their students.
If you live in Dallas, you've probably already heard the good news - bike racks are coming to the DART buses! Starting now and finishing by the end of the year, the Dallas transit agency will install bike racks on the front of all 650 Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) buses. The transit agency is converting 20 to 30 buses a day, with the goal of completing the installations by the end of 2008. Each rack will hold two bicycles.
International Bike & Walk to School day is coming up on Wednesday, October 8.This is a special day to promote safe walking
and bicycling throughout the year.If
you are interested in organizing such an event at a school of your choice,
our website www.BikeTexas.org provides
you the information and tools on how to have a successful event.May is Bike & Walk to School Month, so now
is the time to plan your event!
Go to Programs/Education/Bike Texas Safe Routes to School
for a world of information.Especially
helpful is the section “Frequently Asked Questions”.This section has all the tools you need to
put on the event: Flyers, Posters, School Newsletter and Loud Speaker Announcements,
Bike Safety Handouts, Team Leader Invitation and Checklist and FUNdamental Activities
to make the day fun.
David Boyd, native Houstonian and avid mountain bike racer, died on September 3, 2008 in a climbing accident in Colorado. He was 47 years old. Dave was a radiologist, practicing in northwest Houston, and a dedicated outdoorsman. He founded and was captain of the M.O.A.T adventure racing team and competed in mountain bike races all over Texas and the nation. Known and respected by other racers for his athleticism, humility, generosity and good sportsmanship, his untimely death has inspired an outpouring of grief and remembrance from the mountain bike and climbing communities.
International Bike & Walk to School day is coming up on Wednesday, October 8.
